Card sensing device



Patented` lJune (i, 1.9l39

UNITED STATES ,2.161,598 PATENT OFFICE vanimos CARD SENSING DEVICE TorkelEdwinTorkelson, Baldwin, N.Y., assig'nor to International Business Machines Corpora-A tion, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkA Application December 23, 193e, serial No. 117,282 a'claims. (Cl. vzool-4c) Y art constructionsland which will not beafiected by -the presence' of foreign matter su'ch as dirt, dust, card chips, etc.

A still further object of the invention is to devise an improved assembly for the contact carrying frame by lmeans oi which one or more units may be easily duplicated to form a contactmaking trame oi a predetermined capacity A. still further object of the invention is to avoid the use of ilush contact surfaces between contact-making parts between which foreign matter may lodge and devise and arrange an improved construction of means adapted to make a rm electrical contact and which will not be affected by the presence of foreign matter.

A still further object relates to an improved means for making a common contact witha series of spring contact elements carried by the contactmaking frame. I

Another object of the invention is to devise an electromagnetically operated means for moving the contact-making frame by the energization of a magnet and which will be maintained irrespective of the deenergization of the magnet.

` apparatus.

Astill further object of the invention relates to an improved electromagnetcally controlled means for 'positively returning the contact mak- V ing frame to normal position.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying'V speci'ication and claims, and shown in the drawings,lwhich by way of illustration show what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment q f the invention; i A I I n-the drawings:

Fig. l is a cross-sectional Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale Y with respect to Fig. 1 and Vis taken n the une 3 isa view showing parts which are. in'

tended to be assembled together widely detached from each other in order to show the form and The improved contact making mechanism inl cludes a U-shaped plate comprising a back plate Il, an upper integral plate II, and a lower integral plate I2. The back plate II has apair ot integral guide plates, one of which is identiiled by numeral' Il inligs.V 1 and 2'and which is prov 'view of theimprovcd vided with guide slots I4 receiving guide studs I5 carried by a side frame I6,v (Fig. 2). By the aforesaid guiding means the U-shaped plate -which carries the contact making devices is guided for recipocable movement for effecting the' sensing operation.

The contact devices are preferably carried by parts described as follows: Upon the base plate I2 there is assembled a bottom plate I'I of insulating material which is apertured to receive a common contact bar I8 and a bolt I9. Overlying the bottom plate II there is assembled a contact carrying comb-plate 20 preferably of insulating material in order that a horizontal line of lcontact 1 elements can be insulated from each other. The plate 2li is also apertured to receive the bolt I9 and is provided with a horizontal series of slots Each slot 2l receives a contact-making spring 22 and the slot 2| is formed in the plate 42l) back far enough to receive the contact bar I8 so that the rear end 22a of the contact-making spring 22 bears against thecontact bar I t by a normal compression in the contact-making spring 22 which is maintained by means now to be described. As best shown in Fig. 2 the slot 2l is just wide enough to receive the width of the spring 22 and the bar I8 andthe slots 2I are covered by the plates I1 which arel adjacent the plate 20 so as-to form an aperture to receive the spring The contact-making portion of the contact bent to form the apex of a triangle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The bottoni plate II has an inte- 'gral spring conining portion I'Ia cooperating 1 the assembly has two confining portions'IIa/and Il b and the top and bottom plates Il of the assembly havepreferably only one of thefspringconning portions Ilb and Ila respectively. If so desired the top and bottom plates I1 may be con# structed similar to nelntermediate plates l1 1f the ineiectiye spring-confining portions do not interfere with the rest of the apparatus.

It will be obvious that the contact springs 22 may have a movenie'nt in the slots 2l inward1y, but their outward movements are limited by the `portions I'Ia and Hb of the plates I1. In the assembly springs 22 aref compressed to maintain' an compression to make ilrm contact with the contact bar I2. In assembling the apparatus the bottom plate I1 and plate 2l are, held by the bolt Il, then the springs 22 vare inserted in the slots.2I, the ybar Il not having beenV inserted at this time. Next the intermediate plate is as-v .spring comprises portions 22h and 22C which are sembled Vover theplate -2l 4and'vbolt slightly 00 raised to hold this plate I1. Next the bar I8 is inserted which will cause the springs 22 to be compressed to secure the initial compression.

The above described assembly is duplicated so as to provide -a vertical column of contact springs 22 of a predetermined number with the bar I8 making a common contact with a vertical column of springs 22. As best shown in Fig. 3 the forward ends of the plates 20 are formed o-r machined to provide relief edges 23 and 24 to receive the spring-confining portions I'la and |1b of the plates I1. Obviously, the threaded bolt I9 and nut 25 (Fig.y 1) retain the parts in assembled position..

The other portion of the contact making apparatus comprises a plate 28 of insulating material in which is embedded contact bars 21, one for each contact making spring 22. 'I'he plate 2'6 and adjacent guide member 28 are iiared to provide a card receiving slot 29 so that a card 38 to be analyzed may be inserted therein downwardly between the sets of contacts to rest upon a card stop 3|. The card 30 is provided with apertures `32 (Fig. 4) of a form suitable toreceive` the triangular extremity 22b, 22o of the spring 22 and thus to make contact with a related contact bar 21.

A relatively important feature of the invention consists in providing each bar 21 with a notch or slot 33 so that the triangular portions 22h and 22e of a related spring make rm contact with edges 33h and 33e, respectively, of the slot 33 before the extremity of the spring 22 touches the bottom of the slot 33. dust, dirt, or specks o`f paper prevented Contact between flush surfaces of contact engaging elements whereas in the present construction foreign matter could not prevent contact in view of the peculiar triangular shape of the extremity of the springs 22 and the slots 33.

The -preferred means for causing the frame carrying the contact springsl 22 to be moved to the left toanalyze the card rwi-il now be described: Atogglev lever 35 (Fig. 1) is pivoted at 36 to a bracket 31 attached to back plate I0 and a companion toggle lever 38 is pivoted to a xed r`od 38. v'The mid-connection 48 connects the toggle levers 35 and 38 and also to the core 4| of a magnet 42. The toggle lever 38 has an extension 43 pivotally connected to a. core of a mag-l net 44. When the latter is energized by suitable control means the toggle levers are rocked from the dotted une position in Fig. 1 to the fun line position with vthe mid connection 43 beyond the center line of the toggle thereby causing the sensing Operation and holding the frame in moved position by means of 'a spring '83 irrespective of the deenergization of magnet 45. After'the sensing operation 'theretracting magnet 42 is ener# gized by `vany suitable control means 'audits core 4| which was previouslyelevated is now depressed,

thus positively rocking the contact carrying frame back to normal position.

The card stop 3| is pivoted to a.A rock shaft 48 and to said shaft 'there 'is secured an arm 41 havto engage the hook 48 and move the latter to theV right. rocking b ell crank 48 clockwise, arm 41 and/shaft 48 counterclockwise, thus moving card stop 3| to the left. The card is now free to drop by gravity to a storage hopper SI1 AAs the hook In prior constructions,

49 is moved to the right a stationary pin 54 will ultimately cause the hook 49 to be disengaged from the shoulder 58 so that a spring 52 will move the hook 49 to the left,rock the bell crank 48 counterclockwise, the arm 41 and shaft 46 clock- Wise, thus moving the card stop 3| in position to nected to a common connection for the electrical in a comb-shape by a plurality of recesses formed at one extremity of said plate, spring contact making elements ilttingin each of said recesses, and a plurality of plates of insulating material separate from said intermediate plate and positioned at each side of the intermediate platel for covering said recesses and having integral portions overlying part of the aforesaid recesses and engaging extremities of said spring contact making elements for coniining the latter in said recesses.

2. A contact making mechanism comprising an intermediate plate of insulating material formed in a comb-shape by a? plurality of recesses formed at one extremity of said platehindivid-ual spring contact elements itting in each `of said recesses, a plurality of plates of insulating material positioned at each side of the intermediate plate for covering said recesses and having integral por,- .tions' overlying part of the aforesaid recesses for conning the spring contact elements in said recesses, and an electrical conducting lbar for each of said spring contact elements passing through a related recess whereby said bar makes electrical contact with a related spring contact element and causes an initial tension of said spring contact form :iconic-like extremity, saidpn having bevelied edges .at the extremity of the 'plate formed with the recesses, individual spring contact elements iltting in each of said recesses, `a

Yplurality of plates-oi' insulating material *positioned at each side of the intermediate plate for covering said recesses and having integral portions tting'the bevelled edges of the intermediate plate for conning the spring elements in said recesses, each of said contact elements being bent at its extremity to form the apex of a triangle which makes contact through a perforation of the sheet with the edges of a notch of a related bar and with said edges prior to the contact of the extremity ofthe contact element with the bottom-of the notch.

EDWIN TORKELSON. 

